Former Swan Valley West CAO takes RM to court over harassment claims

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The former CAO of a western Manitoba community is suing his former employer, claiming years of harassment and bullying by one man left him in a state of “mental anguish” and cost him his job.

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Former RM of Swan Valley West CAO James Webb was “subject to ridicule, bullying and harassment both inside and outside the workplace,” according to a statement of claim filed in the Court of King’s Bench on Sept. 26, that names the RM of Swan Valley West as a defendant.

Webb, who took the role of Swan Valley West CAO in March of 2021, after being promoted from his previous role as acting CAO, claims in the lawsuit he suffered “humiliating, high-handed and embarrassing treatment” at the hands of Bill Gade, who currently serves as the RM’s reeve, and served a previous term as a councillor, while Webb held the role of CAO.

According to the lawsuit, in November of 2020 when Webb first began as acting CAO, then-councillor Gade began “interfering with the Plaintiff’s ability to carry out his duties, and exhibited harassing, inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour towards the Plaintiff both in the workplace, and publicly on his radio show, CJSB-FM (CJ104 Radio) and social media.”

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The lawsuit details a series of alleged incidents that it says amounts to harassment of Webb, including an incident in July of 2021 where it is alleges Gade followed Webb through a job site and “subsequently declared on his public radio show that the Plaintiff’s performance was inadequate and outlined the deficiencies on the job site.”

It also claims that between 2021 and 2022, Gade made several false allegations about Webb on his radio show and social media channels, including accusing the former CAO of harassing and wrongfully terminating other municipal employees.

Gade also “wrongfully” accused Webb of mismanaging the community’s water treatment plant during his time as CAO, intentionally deleting council meeting recordings, and of getting into a physical altercation with a Swan Valley West councillor during an in camera meeting, according to the lawsuit.

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The suit seeks aggravated, special and punitive damages from the RM, as well as damages for mental stress, and a court declaration that Webb was wrongfully dismissed from his job, despite the fact Webb resigned in October of 2022.

“The Defendant breached a fundamental term of the Plaintiff’s Employment Agreement, by failing to treat the Plaintiff fairly, reasonably and in good faith, thereby rendering continued employment impossible,” the lawsuit reads.  “At no time did the Defendant take any steps to address Reeve Gade’s conduct.”

The lawsuit claims Webb suffered “serious mental anguish” and was forced to resign as CAO because of a “toxic” working environment that was “carried out or condoned” by the RM.

In an email, Gade claimed the RM wanted Webb to continue to be “part of our team” before he resigned in 2022.

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“James is a former employee, and sometimes former employees are disgruntled, and they have some concerns,” Gade wrote.

“We want his issues to be resolved. We don’t want him unhappy either, and if this is how we have to resolve it, certainly we look forward to there being some resolution so we can all move forward.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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